Modified Suspension Mounting Points

[Mav]

I've been lurking around here for a while and I was wondering if there are any non-race fiesta's that have made changes to the front or rear wheel track without the use of spacers? And if so, what kind of options are there for after market CV axles and hubs/knuckles for such modifications?

Or is this kind of modification pushing for the need of individually manufactured parts on a case by case basis?

 

[iso100]

Curious: If you're not racing, why do you want to change (I assume widen) your track and don't want to use spacers?

 

[Vince62]

Why didn't you just buy a FoST?Most people here bought the Fist cuz it didn't feel fat like the FoST.

 

[Mav]

Curious: If you're not racing, why do you want to change (I assume widen) your track and don't want to use spacers?

Sorry, when I meant racing I meant not WRC racing. I wanted to see what kind of components are available to the public for something like this or if anyone knew of a member who made this kind of modification to a streetable fist.

 

[Young L]

Know one is making anything like that commercially. RAAMaudio is the only forum member I am aware of that has gone to that extent, but his extensive racing background allowed him to do it mostly himself I believe.

 

[Wimp Lo]

The reason why you don't see it is that its not easy and in most sanctioning bodies, changes like this bump you in to a class with other highly modified and very fast competition.

The easy way to do it is wide wheels, low offset and spacers but with FWD that means lots of torque steer because the scrub radius gets increased greatly.

Increasing track the right way is a good idea but usually the reason why people want it kind of precludes doing it.

 

[Wimp Lo]

The reason why you don't see it is that its not easy and in most sanctioning bodies, changes like this bump you in to a class with other highly modified and very fast competition.

The easy way to do it is wide wheels, low offset and spacers but with FWD that means lots of torque steer because the scrub radius gets increased greatly.

Increasing track the right way is a good idea but usually the reason why people want it kind of precludes doing it.

 

[RAAMaudio]

Very good advice, you are not going to do this easily and if paid to have it done the cost would be very high.

I am running 15x9, +35mm offset wheels with a 5mm front spacer to clear the struts and I have considerable torque steer but am willing to have it and will tune around it the best I can. I setup the car to get around corners as fast as possible, jump the curbs on track and not flip over doing so thus the wider the better in that regard but in the end I might have to step down to a less aggressive setup, less offset which means narrower wheels.

When I have a shop again, full time RVing now, I might build a tubular crossmember and control arms and go with 15x11 wheels and 275 slicks, flares required of course.

 

[Mav]

Thanks everyone for the advice, very insightful. I'll have to look into your setup more after I finalize my vehicles purchase to see feasibility and reliability.

 

[RAAMaudio]

The FiST is an incredible little car stock and responds well to many real performance upgrades but it will always be a narrow and tall car with certain laws of physics against it but we can bend a few to gain here and there and make it pretty damn amazing but it will never be a Lotus even if it can beat some of them it will never drive like one.

I saw a Lotus Elan the other day, track/street setup, flares, wide tires, Ohlins, roll bar...and a Formula Altantic 300HP NA engine which some revved to 12,000RPM and were the best sounding engines I have ever heard, I could probably build one of those cars for much less than I have in the FiST and it would eat the FiST alive I am sure but I still prefer the FiST for real world use.